The Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation (APCCIF) will suggest a plan of action on development of seaports to Andhra Pradesh Government by the end of October and it has roped in global consultant Ernst & Young (E&Y) for the purpose.
A team of E&Y began studying the potential of existing ports and the string of new ports proposed by the State Government, three weeks ago. It will come up with a detailed report on the port sector and maritime trade in A.P in just over a month.
The scope of work undertaken by the E&Y also includes an overview of the Indian port sector.
Announcing this at a press conference here on Wednesday, APCCIF President-Elect M. Murali Krishna said that the E&Y report would throw light on port-centric industrial zone development model, land cost competitiveness of various ports, comparison of port infrastructure and productivity and policy environment for enabling port-based trade and contribution of ports to A.P Government’s vision of Sunrise State.
The study would focus on trade and manufacturing–based models of development of ports. For instance, Singapore grew into the world’s busiest transhipment hub through efficient facilitation of global trade whereas Chinese ports were powered by manufacturing sector.
APCCIF Executive Director P. Bhaskar Rao said that the Central Government’s decision to build two major ports on Sagar Island off West Bengal coast and at Dugarajapatnam in Nellore District augur well for the Indian port sector whose potential was not fully realized.
As far as A.P was concerned, this was the right time to give a fillip to development of ports but the Government has to first create trading and manufacturing bases that would generate the extent of business volumes required by medium and minor ports proposed in the State.
Visakhapatnam Port is the only major one in A.P. It was giving other leading ports a run for their money. The private port at Krishnapatnam was making a rapid progress. The Government of A.P would do well to concentrate on other promising ports by doing a thorough cost-benefit analysis, Mr. Rao observed.
A.P Small Industries President T. Parthasaradhi and APCCIF NextGen Convener G. Prasanna Kumar were present.
